Customizing a 5x7 Glass Negative Carrier

[neil poulsen]

I'm speculating on how to make a 5x7 negative carrier for a 5x7 Zone VI Type II enlarger.

My thought was to take a negative carrier for a smaller format and center a hole cut to about 4.75"x6.75". This should be large enough to show the image on a 5x7 film sheet, yet small enough that two 5x7 panes of glass won't fall through. Then, I could glue a plastic guides around the hole thick enough to contain the two panes of 5x7 glass. (I've got some Durst glass for this purpose.)

Does this sound like a reasonable approach?

Will the top pane of glass be heavy enough to keep the 5x7 sheet of film sufficiently flat?

Any other thoughts on how to approach this task?

[djdister]

How about using a 5x7 glass negative carrier from a Eastman 5x7 autofocus enlarger (like this)? Send me a PM if interested.
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[mdarnton]

I don't know how the Zone Vi is, but I once made a bulk 35mm proofing carrier for my D2V with just two 7x12" sheets of glass, hinged by tape at the back. I figured out where the film hole should be relative to the back stop of the enlarger's neg stage, and made a black tape mask for the film. It leaked light around the edges, which didn't turn out to be a problem for my use, but some more black tape would have solved that. If I had been serious, I'd have used ANR glass for the top. I used that for years to make enlarged gang proofs of 35mm rolls.

[Keith Pitman]

Rather than ruin a (very scarce) Zone VI negative carrier, make one from scratch from a piece of glass, a piece of plexy, a little tape, and a construction paper mask. See post 38: http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?97754-Zone-VI-Type-2-Variable-Contrast-Enlarger-any-advice-for-new-user&p=967492#post967492

[Alan Curtis]

Neil
I sent my Zone VI 4x5 negative carrier to focal point glass(http://www.fpointinc.com/glass.htm) they fitted the top half with ANR glass and the bottom with clear glass. The fit is perfect.
I really noticed a difference in getting the negative flat.
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[Keith Pitman]

And if money isn't an issue, Alistair Inglis will make you one: http://www.alistairinglis.com/carriers/